Ways to build a culture of trust to engage employees with mental health benefits
Leaders must create an environment of trust in which inclusivity, work/life integration, and connection are prioritised. Here, Andreea Dinu, culture and engagement Strategist from O.C. Tanner Europe, provides her thoughts on how HR leaders can nurture a culture of trust, thereby encouraging employees to engage more readily with mental health benefits.
The challenging status quo
As 2022 started we saw:
- covid restrictions ending
- more signs of economic recovery
- workers returning to the office in some form or other – potentially creating much-needed feelings of positivity and new beginnings.
However, this short-lived optimism has been shattered by Russia’s declaration of war on Ukraine, with the terrifying prospect of a global conflict. There’s widespread anxiety about yet another international crisis that’s out of our hands, causing a further blow to mental health.
Thankfully, mental health remains at the top of leaders’ agendas, and employers are far more disposed to supporting wellbeing and acting on mental health concerns compared to a few years’ ago. And if the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that organisations with resilient and healthy workplace cultures have more secure and happier people.
A trusting culture is key
It’s key to create a culture that provides the right foundation for mental health initiatives to flourish – a culture of trust, honesty, acceptance and inclusivity. Although Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) are now part of basic employee benefits offerings, their positive impact can be hindered or even negated by a lack of organisation-wide trust. In fact, 28% of European employees do not fully trust their direct managers, stifling employees’ attempts at seeking help.
Favourable, positive experiences at work are a sign of healthy cultures where trust exists between employees, their managers and leaders. It is this trust that allows mental health benefits to have any chance of success.
Key ways to nurture a healthy culture
There are a number of key ways to build a culture of positivity and trust. These include:
Developing modern leaders
Modern leaders who understand the importance of mentorship; advocating for their people; showing vulnerability; and connecting individuals to each other, their leaders and organisational purpose, are far more likely to be trusted by their people. With traditional management models remaining prominent in many workplaces – with only 7 per cent of CEOs from Forbes companies thinking their organisation is building effective global leaders – companies that adopt and encourage modern leadership practices, will create a far more supportive culture.
Ensuring transparent communication and feedback
O.C. Tanner’s 2022 Global Culture Report finds that leaders who communicate decisions honestly, completely and proactively build trust and reassure their employees. A culture of feedback also helps reduce the gap in trust. Even now, 32% of European employees say they are expected or implicitly required to never challenge superiors in order to fit in. This approach is not conducive to a culture of acceptance and understanding.
Encouraging one-to-ones
Managers can address the trust gap through communication and support. One way to do this is through one-to-one conversations, where employees can input into the agenda.
One-to-ones must take place frequently and include discussions around the employee’s wellbeing and life outside of work so that managers can get to better know their people as individuals. Done this way, one-to-ones nurture connections, with the effect being that those who develop strong connections trust their leaders more, and genuinely feel their leaders care about them as people. Employees are seven times’ more likely to have an above-average connection with their leader when they feel their leader makes time for them.
Championing recognition
Nearly 90% of employees have high trust in a leader who recognises their accomplishments, compared to 48% who feel the same level of trust without recognition. Whether it’s recognition for extra effort, an accomplishment or a career milestone, showing appreciation strengthens connections between employees and their leaders, which in turn creates a more trusting relationship. Encouraging peer-to-peer recognition is also key for strengthening connections between teams.
Addressing all aspects of wellbeing
Finding ways to improve emotional and physical health, will also improve mental health. Besides EAPs, employers must offer paid time off, mental health days and allow room for activities that create a sense of community. Providing initiatives that help people get fitter, such as encouraging walking breaks throughout the day and step count challenges, are also important for creating a positive, thriving culture with a strong sense of wellbeing.
Putting the building blocks in place
You can’t expect mental health benefits provided by a company with a toxic and distrustful culture to be well engaged with. It’s important to firstly get the organisational culture right, before expecting employees to open-up about their mental health challenges. Employees in high-trust organisations are more productive, have more energy at work, collaborate better with their colleagues, and stay with their employers longer than people working at low-trust companies. They also suffer less chronic stress and are happier with their lives, and these factors fuel stronger performance. This is why creating a culture of trust and understanding that puts employees’ needs first, must become the number one priority.
By Andreea Dinu, culture and engagement Strategist from O.C. Tanner Europe
This article was provided by O.C. Tanner
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, O. C. Tanner
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